by Timothy D Heard

Created on: March 14, 2008   Last Updated: April 24, 2008

Symptoms and treatment of flu

For those of us living in colder climates, one of our most common illnesses, is Influenza. It is highly contagious and very often re-occurs in certain individuals annually. The first step in fighting the flu is prevention.

The best way of avoiding the flu is a flu shot. Many of us are wary of these because they actually introduce an inactive strain of the virus into the body, and many believe that they will develop flu-like symptoms. This is a common misconception, very few actually develop any symptoms at all.

Flu vaccinations are generally aimed at those of higher age groups or those with chronic diseases of the heart, lung or kidney's, or those with diabetes or anemia. It is also recommended for health care professionals working in hospitals, nursing homes and health care centers for the elderly.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), highly recommends that children ages 6 - 59 months be vaccinated because of their high susceptibility rates. The only people who are not advised to receive flu vaccinations are those with allergies to egg's. The reason being, that the inactive strain of the flu bacteria used for vaccination purposes, is grown and bred in the egg's of hen's.

The main sign's and symptom's of the flu are a continuous cough, sore throat, runny nose and congested sinuses. Other symptoms include headaches, muscle aches and fatigue. Often these symptoms are accompanied by a high fever ranging from 100-103 degrees Fahrenheit, and sometimes even higher among children. The flu can also cause diarrhea, vomiting and stomach nausea, but a little known fact is that these three symptoms are not usually a result of being infected with the flu, but instead are caused by a gastrointestinal illness. If you suspect that you have the flu, your safest and quickest method of diagnosis is to visit your doctor or local walk-in clinic.

There are three main types of influenza. These are simply known as A,B and C types. Types A and B are the most common and tend to appear during the winter periods. Type C has very low levels of severity, causing only mild respiratory illness and often, no symptoms at all. It is not considered infectious and most efforts at controlling flu epidemics are aimed at types A and B.

Once you have contracted the flu, you must now focus your efforts on treatment. If you visit a doctor, you will most likely be given an anti-biotic and/or one or more prescriptions of about 28 existing flu-fighting medications.

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